Rapture Of Hearts: Buried Beneath
by Cassidy S. Waters
Summary: They felt empty inside, buried beneath by falsehood and baggage. But one night, and one daring move, might free them from this fantasy. Rated T for suggestive themes. Slight OOC


_**Rapture Of Hearts: Buried Beneath**_

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><p>To say that love conquers all to the couple was something of a joke. The entire thing, the wedding, the marriage, the agreement between the two that he would live with her, was fake. If only the two hadn't accidentally gotten drunk that one night, none of this would have happened.<p>

But what happened happened, and now there was no turning back. She was pregnant, and that's all it amounted to.

There were times when she would wonder why she agreed to marry him. The fact that they were so different, and that the only reason for the marriage was for the child's sake, should have been give-aways. But she just had to look in mirror and remind herself, even if it was fake, even if they didn't agree, if even she didn't like him, she didn't wish for her child to live without both parents, like she had to.

Maybe it was this fear of the past returning to haunt her kept her in the marriage. Deep inside, if she was honest with herself, she feared for her child's well-being. Not just for it to be born normally, but for it to have a normal life, a luxury that neither parent had.

But even if she was doing this for her child, that didn't mean she had to enjoy this pseudo-marriage. It was the little things, like him being too chivalrous, or the remembrance of his betrayal, that bugged her. It was things like him treating her like a damsel in distress sometimes, like volunteering to "take care of" her.

She doesn't like having someone carrying her own weight. Instead of worrying about her, he should focus on his own baggage, like his nameless history, or bringing a paycheck home while she worked to free her friends from their crystalline prison.

Though the little things bugged her, it was his view of the world, his attitude towards everything that really ticked her off. He was like a mindless puppet waiting for his strings to be pulled by some unknown entity, just a tool to be used then cast aside for another day.

His mind was on "the Light" all the time. She tried, in vain, to break him of his habit of using these terms, but old habits die hard. She was still flustered over how her sister looked at her in shock over the man she said she was marrying. Not that she could blame her. Her little sister was only looking out for her big sister.

Fake is what this marriage was. Both knew that. Both had their own reasons for agreeing to this. She wanted to have her child have a chance to being normal, free from trial and distress. He felt guilty for his folly, and he wanted to make it up to her by pledging to protect her and their child. But even with good reasons, the couple soon felt more depressed, more irritable, and more sluggish. It was like their being together was draining their very energy from each other. She would feel fine most of the day, until she was reminded to return home, where all her get-up-and-go got-up-and-left.

Today was one of those days where she wished she hadn't married him. She didn't want to talk. The stress from this fake marriage was finally getting to her. All she wanted to do was sleep through this, make it do the next day, hopeful she'd find a solution to her growing emptiness. When he finally arrived home, she stiffened, waiting for him to try and talk to her. He had been trying to do that more often, though for what reasons she knew that. She had heard through the grape-vine that their friends had recommended talking to each other might fix some broken pieces.

The door to the bedroom opened, and she heard the faint sound of him walking on the carpet. The next thing she noticed was the weight on the other side of the bed shifts, giving her the impression that he had sat down. Then, just when she prays he would just go to the sleep, he gently puts a hand on her shoulder and whispers, "Lightning."

Lightning literally feels her heart jump into her throat. This wasn't the tone he used when he normally talked to her. This tone was low, quiet, yet so . . . so . . .

Seductive.

Feeling her heart beat faster than normal, Lightning kept quiet, her eyes having opened yet facing away from him. She prayed harder that he would leave it be and just go to sleep, but no, he wasn't done. Far, far from it.

She felt his weight shift even more, most likely pulling his legs up onto the bed, and then, he moves in closer to her, more than she was comfortable with. He touches her shoulder again, but instead of whispering her name, he keeps quiet, taking the sweet time of tracing his fingers almost casually along her bare arm. Lightning subconsciously shivers, but whether in delight or disgust, she knew not. This surprised her, because normally she wouldn't hesitate to disown any pleasure from this!

But not today, apparently.

After his caressing of her arm, he gently moves in even closer, to the point where she can practically feel his warm breathe on her neck. He then slides his hand under her arm, and though she didn't resist, Lightning felt tempted to jerk herself up and demand for him to stop whatever he was trying to pull. But she couldn't force herself to. Not matter how hard she reasoned, she was actually enjoying this silent, physical attention.

And just when Lightning thought it was over, having his arm now securely wrapping around her waist, his hand placed over her swollen abdomen, he makes another bold move. He places his left leg on top of her legs, shifting his weight so now he's practically on top of her.

Lightning didn't even know how to react.

"Lightning," he whispers again, so soft and sweetly in her ear that she just wanted to die right then and there. She sees him out of the corner of her eyes, his silhouette recognized faintly in the dark. Slowly, she turns her head to look at him clearly. Even in the dark, she can see a strange glitter in his eyes that seemed entirely foreign to one such as him. Chuckling, he buries his face in her neck, and Lightning felt like she was flying suddenly. Why these immense feelings for the man who ruined her life? Why is she feeling this way? Why is he acting this way?

But to this, Lightning had no answer. Something inside of her told her to trust this man, so she did, risking a chance to see whatever this may lead to. Maybe, just maybe, this interaction would feel her empty bucket, removing the stale taste of the falsehood surrounding them.

She smirked, allowing whatever feelings she felt during this time out, and turned around in his grasp to face him. Their faces were extremely close, so close that she could see deep into his gallant eyes. Even in the dark, the two could tell the other was smiling. Whatever was going through their heads at that moment mattered not. For now, they would let their unspoken passion out to speak for them.

Lightning moves in first, placing her hands on his chest, caressing the muscles she finds under his T-shirt. Though she would never admit it aloud, she found him to be incredibly attractive. Sure, she found him annoying, what with his fairy-tale-like mannerisms, but this was her acknowledgement; his soft silvery blue mane, his powerful cerulean colored eyes, that rare smile he was now allowing her to see, his noble heart that only sought to help others, the caring nature to reach other to others selflessly all appealed to her. For so than her sister's finance, Snow. Heck, he even helps her in trying to free Fang and Vanille, something she at first didn't welcome but soon accepted gratefully. Though she may find him a nuisance at times, or a royal pain in the rear end the rest of the time, she could not deny that fact that he rubbed her the right way on good days.

Like right now. Lightning grins, having realized that her caressing of his chest got him shivering in excitement. He chuckles again, obviously pleased to have her enjoy his presence, and gently runs one hand through her pink hair and closes in. The next thing Lightning knew, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

First shock hits her. They had never kissed before, even at their wedding. Just a stupid, stiff hug, though it felt more like a mutual hand-shake. Once the shock wears off, she realizes that he's still kissing her, planting gentle, butterfly kisses on her face, holding it in place for two second before moving to a new location.

Excitement, maybe, or whatever powerful emotion that surpasses passion, gripped her heart and shook it. Not able to help herself, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and then she presses her lips, touching his. No way was she letting him have all the fun.

They held that position for who knows how long. A second, a minute, an hour, a year, it didn't matter to them because, to them, it felt like eternity. And when they finally separated, Lightning whispered, "What's gotten into you, hmm? Has the great fairy tale warrior actually realized he's got hormones like the rest of us mere mortals?"

He merely smiled, replying in that smooth and silky tone, "Perhaps your harsh mannerisms finally got the better of me." He moved in again, recapturing her lips, this time with more intensity. Lightning joined in the ecstasy, and before either knew it, they were both moaning in pleasure, their physical needs finally met.

Silently praising his allies for the recommendation to "allure" his wife to get her out of her bad mood, he continued to please her in every way his mind could fathom. He eventually got carried away, forgetting everything but Lightning, just following his humanly needs of affection through actions. He, too, like her, had grown tired of living the lie of their marriage. Seeking the aid of his comrades, they each gave him the best advice they could, though all together they suggested just letting go and telling her how he really feels. To him, such a scheme was such an utterly alien thought. Yet he took it to heart, and after puzzling what his true feelings were for her, he finally returned to his wife with a growing passion filling his body with unknown yet exotic compulsion. He grew bolder with each step, and before he knew it, she was joining in, moving her hands under his shirt and caressing his back with soft fingertips. Taking the hint, he paused, jerking the shirt off before continuing where he left off.

Now Lightning feels as if the room suddenly got hotter. Maybe it did, since they were moving around a lot, and body heat also has something to do with temperature. But she guessed most of the heat was coming from her cheeks, as the temptation of seeing her own shirtless husband in front of her put in her mind in many happy places. She was, after all, drunk when she first saw him shirtless, though she still doesn't remember anything from that night. Now, with a sober mind, seeing him revealing what heavy armor always hid from everyone's eyes, she felt like she was lying in bed with an angel.

The two continue their dance, ecstasy overcoming both their minds, fogging their consciousness of everything but each other and their actions. As their dance intensifies, shivers of raw emotion shoot up her spine, and his body pumps large amounts of hormones throughout his being, feeling such intensity that neither felt before.

To be frank, it reminded him of those great trials of endeavor, of combat, of fighting the good fight yet living to see another day. The heat of battle, the raw power running through his body as danger comes ever so closer. Dancing with death, sidestepping danger, defeating the darkness with only his sword and shield. To him, he thought that's all his life meant. After all, he had no name, no memories beyond the circles. For all he knew, he could have a home and family waiting for him, though he knew he might never see them again.

Since being placed here after their victory in the circles, he felt as if his whole existence was meaningless. There were no battles to fight, no one to defend, nothing to protect. He met many characters in Cornelia, but after reaching a dead end with no one who knew him, he decided to journey onward, seeking the truth behind his life. Traveling alone, he looked for his past, hoping to find some clues as to who he was. The searches were fruitless, however, and that left him at dismay. Knowing nothing else, he sought out his comrades, hoping he might find a reason to exist with them.

This brought him to Cosmos, who was free to travel among the different worlds since Chaos's defeat. With her aid, he traveled to each world, reuniting with allies from the many worlds. After meeting the last of his allies from the circles, they more or less agreed that they should have a party to celebrate their reunion. The party was nothing like what the more energetic members hoped for, but it was enough to give the former warriors of Cosmos something to enjoy. However, for him, the party got a little out of hand, as drinking was part of the celebration (though the young ones were not permitted such temptations, as Tidus made sure of that). The next thing he knew, he awoke to find himself naked and sleeping with Lightning. Because of his tactless actions, and after discovering a new life would be brought into this world because of it, he volunteered to be Lightning's husband, vowing to never leave her or their child's side.

Because of his vow, he could no longer go out and wage war against minions of the darkness or protect the innocent victims of cruelty. It was like his life had no purpose at all. However, perhaps his subconscious had a different opinion. If he were to be blunt, he would have to admit that, though he had no purpose in Cornelia, that he might have a purpose to life in this world. And now, in bed with his wife, he found that meaning. He was a husband, her protector, and even though she would refuse his help at times, he could say he thoroughly enjoyed her company. It added spice to his life, making it interesting. He loved the way she defied fate, how she fought to protect others, how she strived to free her two allies from their crystal prison. No, not allies. Friends. A new word that he found more comforting. More personal than allies, closer than comrades, but not as close as a couple. A real couple.

Lightning gave this Warrior of Light a purpose, whether she realized it or not. And the Warrior gave Lightning support that she didn't yet realize she needed. When these two realizations came together, their fabricated marriage becomes genuine, beyond just a fantasy. When their buried emotions were allowed to surge forth, beneath all the lies and falsehood, real bliss came, and for them, this one moment was all they needed to be reminded of this.

_X~End~X_

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><p><strong>CS: Well? How did you like that? First time trying to write a slightly imitate fanfic. Boy, I hope this isn't too bad.<strong>

**Gaomon: This is very good, CS. Probably one of the best serious one-shots you've written.**

**Nel: And your first Dissidia fanfic, to top it off!**

**CS: Yeah, I'm glad how it turned out. It was such a headache to write.**

**Dorumon: Yet you're in love with this couple?**

**CS: Heck yeah! WolxLight for the win!**

**Nel: WolxLight is happiness.**

**Gaomon: That's Clifa is happiness, Nel.**

**Envy: Disclaimer: CS owns nothing but the baby-to-be.**

**Dorumon: Also, recommendation: Listen to the song Buried Beneath by Red on their track Until We Have Faces when reading this fanfic.**

**CS: Or Who We Are by Red on track Until We Have Faces. It's just as good.**


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